WHITE HALL -- The White Hall School District plans to ask voters in April for a 5.7-mill increase for campus construction and improvements.
The School Board voted last week to proceed with the plan and will further discuss the issue at a Jan. 13 meeting, where such details as an election date will be hammered out.
Larry Smith, superintendent of the district, said money from the increase would fund more than $24 million in bonds to build a fine arts center, a multipurpose center and some renovations.
If passed, the new millage rate would be 44.9 mills. It would mean a $114 annual increase in property taxes on a house with an appraised value of $100,000. The district hasn't raised its millage rate since 2009, and Smith said the improvements the new increase would fund are vital to the district's future.
"We want to be progressive for our students and be able to offer them the best facilities possible," Smith said. "With these proposed improvements, our students will have access to some of the best opportunities anywhere for their education."
When Smith arrived in White Hall in 2007, he immediately proposed facility upgrades and new construction with a two-phase plan. The first phase included building 17 new classrooms and general upkeep, such as upgraded air-conditioning systems.
The crown jewel of phase two is a new fine arts center, the superintendent said.
At more than 34,000 square feet, the center will include a 1,200-seat auditorium with state-of-the-art lighting and sound systems, classrooms for band and choir, as well as a facade that will give the entire high school a new look.
"Right now, we really have no identifying front," Smith said. "The fine arts center will face Highway 256, making a proper front entrance for our school. We will also be redoing the main parking area as part of the project."
The school has never had an auditorium and relies on the cafeteria as the primary space for large gatherings or school meetings. Smith said the White Hall First Baptist Church has allowed the school to use its space for choir concerts and other events, but the venue isn't large enough to accommodate bigger crowds.
Classrooms vacated by the band and choir would be used for workforce development courses, which are currently held off campus, Smith said.
The multipurpose center would include an indoor, 50-yard practice field to be used primarily for athletics and band practices. The proposal calls for more than 52,000 square feet of space that will include batting cages and dressing rooms for boys and girls, as well as office space. It would be built next to the south end zone of Bulldog Stadium.
Renovations would include a new handicapped-accessible entrance to the high school gymnasium, new restrooms and a new concession stand for the gym.
Smith said he plans to talk up the proposal during visits to booster clubs, civic clubs and other organizations during the next couple of months.
He said it's too early to tell if there will be any organized opposition to the measure.
Historically, White Hall residents have been "good about supporting their school district," Smith said. "They know we offer quality education for their children, and they want that to continue."
Patrick Thompson of White Hall said that while he doesn't have any children, he supports making improvements to school facilities.
"It's the heart of White Hall," Thompson said of the school district. "That's the reason people want to come to this community, for the schools we have here. I am very proud of that and would pay extra taxes to have improvements made there. It will only bolster our community and make us an even better place to live."
White Hall resident Tia Corning has a daughter who attends White Hall High School and said she likely would support the increase, too.
But she has one caveat: "If the economy stays on the upswing, and if the cost of living doesn't continue to skyrocket like it has, then I see this as a good thing," Corning said. "Otherwise, that extra money going toward taxes is going to cut into budgets pretty hard."
State Desk on 12/22/2014